Shortstop Ryan Wright leaps for a line drive against Reno American on Monday.
The last play of the game typified how the last three innings went for the Carson City Juniors Little League All-Star team in its opener of the District I Tournament.
Blake Matties appeared he may have beaten out a slow roller to second to keep Carson alive, but was called out on a bang-bang play to end Carson’s hopes in a 6-5 loss to Reno American on Monday at Governors Field. Carson fell into the losers bracket of the double elimination tournament and will play at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The last three innings were in stark contrast of the first four innings in which Carson was able to build a 4-0 lead behind the pitching of Hayden Hudson, who was working on a shutout heading into the fifth.
But after allowing an RBI single that brought Reno to within 4-1, Hudson was pulled and that’s when the game began to unravel for Carson. A combination of Carson struggling somewhat on defense and timely hitting by Reno allowed Reno to tie the score 4-4.
Reno still had the bases loaded with one out when Matt Gunkel came on to pitch. Gunkel induced a groundball to third in which Chase Campagni made a nice play in which he tagged the runner heading to third and then threw to first for the inning ending double play.
But in the bottom of the sixth, Reno took a 6-4 lead on a double, RBI fielder’s choice and RBI single.
Zac Glanzmann, who had two hits, reached on an error to lead off the seventh for Carson. He induced Reno’s pitcher to make a wild pickoff throw to first and advanced all the way to third on the play.
Delsin Roberts eventually reached on an error to bring Carson to within 6-5 before Matties was ruled out on the game-ending bang-bang play.
Hudson got out of a first inning jam when Reno lined into a double play with the bases loaded and one out. Carson scored all of its runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.
Roberts reached on an infield single, Matties singled and Blake Manzel struck for his second hit, an RBI double to give Carson a 1-0 lead. Vernon Painter’s RBI fielder’s choice gave Carson a 2-0 lead, Glanzmann hit an RBI single to make it 3-0 and Carson scored on an error to take a 4-0 lead.
